


Worry Not Everything Is Sound

by prompt_fills



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Career, Angst, Based On Buzzfeed Unsolved, Case Fic, M/M, Mystery, Paranormal Investigators, Supernatural Elements, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-23 09:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16156424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prompt_fills/pseuds/prompt_fills
Summary: One of these days, Leo will make Crisbelieve. Rumoured vampire sightings are as good opportunity as any.AKA the BuzzFeed Unsolved!AU





	1. Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> This is a response to [an anon’s request for a BuzzFeed Unsolved AU](https://footballkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/887.html?thread=64631#cmt64631).

“Is it on?”

“Of course it is,” Leo snaps.

“Just checking,” Cris says, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Remember that time we went to that ‘haunted’ mansion and you–”

“That only happened once, Cris. Once! Give me a break,” Leo growls, triple checking that his camera is really recording everything they can see through the windshield of their car. “This time it’s on, see?”

“Okay, then. Let’s get started.”

Leo nods and clears his throat. “I know what you guys are thinking. Where the hell are we going this time, right? But that’s easy to puzzle out. What region has beautiful beaches, caves, spa resorts and breathtaking mountains? Where can you find Villa Quijano, Altamira or Real Palacio de La Magdalena? That’s right. The place you can see around us is Cantabria. Green Spain.”

Cris reaches to the dashboard and plucks the camera from its pod, swinging it around wildly before focusing it on himself. “That’s it folks, we’re in Cantabria, also known as the home of one of the most vicious and bloodthirsty vampires in the history of this entire country. We’re here to meet the fabled Guajona,” Cris says. “She goes by other names as well. Most commonly, she is also kno–”

“-known as Lumia,” Leo pipes up.

“… dude, you just said her name. I thought you swore not to say her name?”

Leo gasps. “You tricked me!”

Cris laughs, his hands shaking so badly Leo knows the recorded footage will be useless. “N-uh, you walked right into it all by yourself. It’s not my fault you need to be a little know-it-all.”

Leo presses his lips together tightly. “Asshole.”

Cris keeps laughing as he explains to their viewers about the vampire and Leo mostly tunes him out, focusing instead on driving through the countryside. The road seems to consist solely of hairpin turns.

**…**

“We’re about to check ourselves into this lovely place,” Leo narrates to the camera when the small hostel appears around the bend of the road. It’s neatly tucked at the feet of a looming mountain, close to the main road and still quite far away from the town.

Cris chuckles. “This is where we edit in some spooky music.”

In broad daylight, the place doesn’t seem that bad. The building is small and shabby, promising a dingy interior but they just need a place to stay for a few nights and Leo thinks it will do just fine.

There is a narrow parking lot behind the hostel. Leo puts the car into reverse and backs the car into its place slowly, mindful of the gaping cliff dropping where the parking lot ends.

“Whatever,” Leo says, pulling the key out from the ignition and locking the gearshift, “as long as there’s hot shower and a bed, I’m not complaining.”

“You’re a simple man of simple tastes, Lionel.”

“Not all of us have been spoiled rotten and have expensive tastes, _Cristiano_.”

“Hey!”

“Just grab the bags from the trunk, I’ll get the camera.”

They lock the car and turn to the hostel.

“It’s not that bad,” Leo says, defensive. He probably shouldn’t have left it up to Geri to book the hostel.

The two of them contemplate the building in front of them for a moment. A strong gust of wind rattles the gate guarding the staircase and the gate flies open under the force, creaking ominously.

“Man.”

“Shut up, Cris.”

They walk through the gate. Leo closes it carefully behind them while Cris hurries up the stairs. Inside of the building they find the receptionist who doesn’t look particularly thrilled to have them here, even though they’re probably the first paying customers the grimy place has seen in weeks.

Cris asks her for their room. She checks the reservation system, letting them wait for long minutes before finally managing to find their information. She checks their IDs, asks if they have any pets with them. They don’t. She asks if they’re reporters. They say they aren’t.

“Five days, huh? Are you sure you both want to sleep here?” The woman asks, eyeing the two of them with disgust.

“Yes, ma’am,” Cris responds.

She looks like she wants to spit on the ground at their feet. “It’s your funeral.”

“Excuse me?”

She shrugs. “I said it was your funeral.” Over the counter, she slips them a single key to their room.

Cris pays for their hotel room and before Leo could demand what the woman meant by her threatening statement, Cris drags him away. “Thank you, ma’am. We’ll let you know if we need anything.”

“You boys do that,” she calls after them.

Leo is positive she wouldn’t lift a finger even if they were on fire.

**…**

Leo lets the door fall shut behind them, carefully turning the locks while Cris turns on the camera.

“Welcome to our humble abode. That’s right folks, this is where we’re spending the night. Tomorrow we’ll see what the city has to offer but for now we just want to catch some z’s.” Cris takes a slow sweep of the room, pausing on the bed. “This is where the magic happens,” he says with a leer.

Leo has to laugh at that. He goes over to his side of the bed, kicking off his shoes and flopping down on the mattress. “Man. Forget the shower. I think I’ll just go to sleep.”

“You’re an animal. Anyway,” Cris says, taking a close-up of the locked door. “I’d say montañeses aren’t the most trusting people.”

“Don’t you say.” Leo stifles a yawn.

“Three sets of locks. That’s a little over dramatic.”

“Old school,” Leo mumbles. He’s about to zonk out, it’s been a long drive and they have a long day ahead.

The sounds of Cris pottering around the room are familiar and oddly comforting. Cris switching off the camera and putting it aside. Opening the window to let some fresh air in. Unzipping his bag. Rummaging around to find his bag with toiletries that Leo so often makes fun of. Brushing his teeth. Setting the book he’s currently reading on the nightstand. Setting his alarm. Closing the window, pulling the blinds. Undressing. Heading to the bathroom.

They’ve done this million times before. At first Leo was sure they’d end up killing each other, especially in the presence of deranged, murderous spirits but so far their adventures have been surprisingly enjoyable. He has yet to convince Cris to open his eyes to the world of supernatural, though.

Cris can be picky about the credibility of the proofs Leo keeps collecting on their hunts and paranormal investigations. But one day they’re going to run into something undeniably spooky and unexplainable and they’ll have caught it on a tape and Cris will have seen it with his own eyes and then it will be Leo’s time to gloat.

Maybe that’s why it’s so much fun to have Cris accompanying him, Leo muses, on the verge of sleep. Cris is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge all the supernatural happenings around them and Leo is determined to keep searching until he proves Cris wrong.

He’s only vaguely aware when the water stops running in the distance.

“Good night, Leo.”

Leo hears the soft murmur of Cris’ voice but he’s far too gone to say anything in return. The mattress dips, Cris picks up his book and the pages start rustling.

Leo doesn’t remember anything from that point.

**…**


	2. Opportunity

Since they don’t know how far it really is, they decide to take the car to the town and have a look around.

Cris is talking to the camera again. “Leo has read somewhere that the modern day cameras are pretty much pro-vampires so what we’re going to do is take this trusty old b–”

“Cris!”

“–beauty to take our snaps.”

Leo grits his teeth, knuckles going tight around the steering wheel.

“That’s right guys, there’ll be polaroids. Actual, old-fashioned polariods. Yes, we’ve stooped so low.”

“You don’t have to sound so snickery about it,” Leo says.

“Snickery?! That’s your word of choice? Snickery?”

“Shut up, man.”

“Just to be clear. I think the polaroids are pretty cool. And since you’ve so helpfully explained about the silver and reflections and all, I can see how they could be potentially useful to someone who thinks vampires are real.”

“Sure, whatever. Hey, look, a diner, I’m pulling over. I’m starving.”

“Okay. Time to interview the locals!”

Leo cuts off the engine and gives Cris an exasperated look. “We don’t want to rouse any suspicion on the very first day.”

“You’re no fun. This is a great opportunity to find out what the locals think about the alleged Guajona sightings.”

Cris makes to get out of the car and Leo quickly grabs his shoulder to make him pause. “I mean it, Cris. We should lay low for now.”

“…dude, what’s _that_?”

Leo quickly snatches his hand away. “Nothing.”

But Cris is reaching over and clasping Leo’s hand in an iron grip. “Is this a charm bracelet? And what’s with the smell? Ugh.”

Leo tries to yank his hand free but Cris is holding on tight, turning Leo’s hand to examine the bracelet from all angles.

“Something like that,” Leo grits through his teeth. “It’s made of garlic.”

Cris’ eyes snap up to Leo’s face. “You are impossible. Each time I think you can’t whip up anything weirder you prove me wrong. Wow. I’m impressed. Garlic. That’s nuts.”

“Ha. Ha. May I have my hand back now?”

“An anti-vampire bracelet. Now I’ve seen it all,” Cris chuckles. “What happened to laying low, huh?”

“It’s not like anyone’s going to notice! Unless they’re a vampire.”

“Hey, I noticed!”

“Oh, right.” Leo tries to get himself free again. Christ, how strong can the guy be? “Maybe _you_ are a vampire.”

“Oh dude, maybe I am.” Cris laughs, delighted. “We better check that out.”

The grip on Leo’s hand finally loosens but at the same time, Cris is tugging at the bracelet, sliding it off Leo’s wrist and fitting it against his own wrist instead.

“Give it back,” Leo says, making a half-hearted attempt to snatch the bracelet back.

“N-uh. See? There. I’m one hundred percent vampire-free.” Cris holds his hand up, examining the new accessory. “I think I’ll keep this one.”

“Fine. Keep it. I’ll just get bitten and turned, it’s not like it matters to you what happens to little old me.”

“Oh Leo, do you really want to claim you don’t have other trinkets to ‘ward off the evil vampires’?”

“They’re not trinkets!” Leo says hotly, then pauses when he sees Cris shit-eating grin. “…I hate you.”

“I knew it!” Cris cackles as he gets out of the car.

Leo glares at his retreating back for a moment before going after him.

**…**

It’s a miserable morning. The sky is cloudy, the wind from yesterday hasn’t quieted down.

They explore the town, visit the church and restock their supplies at the convenience store. At the main square in front of a town hall, they find a statue of a vampire.

Leo gets the camera. “This part of Cantabria is most infamously known for–”

“Vampires,” Cris says, bending down and pretending to sink his teeth to the side of Leo’s exposed neck.

Leo can feel Cris’ hot breath on his skin. He shivers. “Get off me, you weirdo.” He hopes the camera won’t pick up the quiver of his voice.

“Today is the first day of our investigation and so far we haven’t found anything. The town looks pretty sleepy to us. Completely normal, boring town. Nothing weird going on.”

“I don’t know Leo, that shop assistant seemed pretty weird to me.”

“Really?” Leo hasn’t noticed anything. In fact, he doesn’t even remember what the shop assistant looked like. Girl. Young. She might have had brown hair. Maybe?

“Yes of course she was weird! She didn’t flirt back! I wasted some of my best lines on her,” Cris snaps, sounding truly miffed.

“So? You waste your lines on me all the time,” Leo rolls his eyes. “Besides, not everyone is into you, you idiot.”

“Nonsense. No one can resist my natural charm.” Cris conjures a sweet smile for the camera and Leo’s heart lurches when he sees it.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re adorable.” Leo hopes his voice sounds sarcastic enough.

“I’m not–”

“Anyway,” Leo says loudly. “First day of our investigation has yielded nothing so far. We’re going to check out the woods in the evening and tomorrow we’re going to try to find the remains of the castle that has been rumoured to be one of the vampire’s favourite hangout spot.”

“Maybe Guajona will invite us over for some good strong coffee. They can’t brew coffee for shit anywhere in this town, I swear.”

“You really are an idiot, Cris.”

“What? You don’t think vampires drink coffee? How the hell do they stay up for whole centuries, then?”

“Blood.”

**…**

They don’t find the castle. No remains, no dungeons, not even a pile of stones that could have been a wall, once. They don’t find anything interesting either.

“This is the most boring town in the history,” Cris complains. “There’s nothing here. Let’s call it a wrap and just go back home.”

Cris is right but Leo can’t give up this easily. They don’t even have anything interesting to turn into an episode and Geri would have a fit if they came back empty-handed. Not to mention their expenses wouldn’t get covered. There needs to be something at least remotely chilling that the viewers could find entertaining and spooky. 

“Maybe if we checked the local graveyard?”

“Fine,” Cris sighs, long suffering.

The graveyard is right behind the church, a short walk from where they were having lunch.

They spend two hours reading the writings on the gravestones, some already faded from the rain, some more recent. There are no inexplicable mass deaths that don’t correlate with various outbreaks of illnesses.

“I give up,” Cris sighs, sitting on a small stone bench, leaning back and watching the sky. “I want to go home. Don’t tell me you don’t want to wave this place goodbye as well.”

Leo sits next to him, mirroring Cris’ pose. “Not yet, we don’t have anything filmed.”

“Ugh,” Cris huffs. “Oh mysterious powers of the undead, if there is anything awful lurking in the shadows of this town, please give us a sign.”

“Jesus Christ! Shut up! Shut up!”

Nothing happens.

“Seriously folks, I’m talking to everyone resting your lazy bones in this graveyard. If you can hear us, Leo would really like to see some sign right now or we’re packing our things and leaving this god forsaken hole.”

“Cris!”

“Can anybody hear me? If you were offed by a deranged vampire, please give us a sign.”

“Bloody hell, shut up, Cris!” Leo tries to cover Cris’ mouth with his hands but Cris just chuckles and battles Leo’s hands away. Thankfully, he falls silent after that.

Leo watches the rows of gravestones, feeling the chill run down his spine as he waits for any movement from the undead. He’s straining his ears to hear the tale-telling creak of opening coffin or the screech of a dying bird. Anything, really.

“Oh hey, look,” Cris calls out, pointing up at the sky.

Leo looks up. Right above them is a cloud that looks like a giant skull. “Jesus Christ!” He scrambles up to get it on the camera. “Do you guys see that? Holy shit!”

“It’s a cloud that looks like a skull,” Cris explains helpfully.

“Do you think it’s an omen?”

Cris shifts, giving Leo an unimpressed look. “I think it’s a could that looks like a skull.”

The wind is caring the cloud away very quickly and soon there is just a vague smudge where the skull has been clearly visible against the sky.

“You don’t find it even a little weird that a giant skull appears in the sky while we’re at the graveyard and right after you’ve asked for a sign?”

Cris shrugs. “Coincidence.”

“Of course you’d say that.” Leo shuts the camera.

Sometimes he wonders why he even bothers with Cris.

**…**


	3. Impulse

They wander through the forest until the sun starts getting low and then they head back, tired and morose, not really in the mood to talk.

Needless to point out, they haven’t found anything interesting.

They have a dinner in the town, then head back to the hostel. The receptionist smirks at them when she sees them tiredly drag their feet up the stairs. Maybe it’s the brambles in Leo’s hair. He took one hell of a fall when he overlooked a crooked root of a tree sticking out into the path. Cris just laughed, instead of helping Leo up. Leo always knew the guy was an assehole. It didn’t diminish Cris’ charm any.

The moment the door falls shut behind them, Leo’s phone goes off. It’s Geri, likely calling to check up on them and ask how their investigation is going. Leo reluctantly answers the phone, rolling his eyes and mouthing _‘Geri’_ at Cris’ curious quirk of an eyebrow.

Cris gives Leo a comforting pat and dashes into the bathroom, effectively avoiding the risk of Leo handing the phone over to him.

“So? What do you have so far?” Geri’s voice asks through the phone.

“Not much,” Leo admits, resisting the impulse to say something rude. Geri has been the one to dig up the lore about Guajona the vampire and send them on this trip.

“Jesus, it’s been what, three days–”

“Two,” Leo interrupts.

“–three days since you left and you’re telling me you’ve got nothing? What have you been doing all this time? Have you two even left the bedroom? Oh my god, don’t tell me you’ve only been having sex.”

“Geri!” Leo protests, cheeks flushing crimson. “That’s not what–”

“Of course it’s not,” Geri interrupts him, sounding amused. “But you wish.”

There’s nothing Leo can say to that. Denying had never worked on Geri. The guy knows him too well.

“So, what have you been doing all days for real?”

“We’ve been looking for the vampire but there really isn’t anything.”

“…You’ve been looking for the vampire during the day?”

Leo scratches his nose. “Yeah?”

“And you’re shocked that the _vampire_ hasn’t shown itself during the _daylight_? Are you kidding me right now Leo?”

“Oh.”

“Oh indeed! Sheesh, how do you not know these things?!”

“I just didn’t realize!”

“I can understand that it didn’t even occur to Cris, the guy couldn’t tell a tibicena from a guide dog if his life depended on it. But you Leo! What have you been thinking about?”

“Uh.”

“Actually you know what, I don’t care. Just listen carefully because I’ll tell you what the two of you are going to do and you’ll do it and you’ll remember to start recording–”

“That was one time! Why does everyone keep bringing it up?”

“–and it will be the most epic proof that vampire exists that anyone has ever seen, okay?”

“Okay,” Leo echoes.

“Good. Just don’t get bitten,” Geri stresses and then proceeds to instruct Leo on when and where they should try to look for the vampire’s castle.

Leo finishes talking to Geri and tosses his phone on the bed, tiredly running a hand over his face.

Cris emerges from the bathroom, towelling himself dry.

Leo averts his eyes. “Geri called.”

“Yeah, he called and he’s disappointed we haven’t even found the vampire’s lair let alone caught her on a tape, right?”

Leo makes a face. “It’s like you spoke with him yourself.”

“What do you know, I’m psychic.”

Leo barks out a laugh. “I sincerely doubt that.”

“I could totally be psychic! I could be reading your mind right now and you’d never know!”

Given the amount of all the inappropriate thoughts he’s been having about Cris lately, Leo sincerely doubts that. “Trust me, if you were psychic, I’d know.”

“Oh yeah? How would you know? Is it because you’re psychic yourself?”

“You got it,” Leo smiles at his feet, still carefully keeping his eyes down, waiting for Cris to change into something that’s not a towel.

“All right, then prove it. What am I thinking about right now?”

Leo finally looks up, meeting Cris’ gaze. Cris has put on his night shirt and settled on the bed cross-legged. He’s leaning against the pillow he propped up against the headboard. He’s got his book in his lap and his fingers are idly playing with the bookmark sticking out of the book.

“About how much you miss your papsan chair back home.”

It lasts barely two seconds but Leo sees Cris freeze up. A small worried line appears on Cris’ forehead before his expression gets schooled back into his usual carefree smile. “That’s a coincidence!”

“Whatever helps your dirty mind sleep at night,” Leo says and before Cris can respond, Leo takes his turn in the bathroom.

His reflection in the mirror is wide-eyed and flushed. There are, indeed, still brambles stuck in his hair. They’re a pain to tug out but Cris hasn’t offered his help so far, though he must have noticed, and the last thing Leo wants right now is to walk back to their room and ask for help.

**…**

“Third day in the middle of nowhere.” Leo makes sure to capture the quickly waning sunlight and the vastness of the mountains surrounding the town from three sides. From the south, the town is guarded by a steep cliff. Leo isn’t sure anyone has ever been crazy enough to rappel down the cliff.

The day is turning into the night and the scenery is quickly disappearing in the rear view mirror.

“For the record, this was Geri’s idea.” Based on Geri’s advice, they set off at dusk to make sure they can explore the woods a bit further away from the town in the middle of the night. Leo exits the main road, turning away from the hostel and away from the town. He drives them several kilometres to the north while Cris snores in the passenger’s seat next to him. Finally, Leo sees a nice spot where they can leave the car.

He cuts the engine and grabs the camera again. “Three days, guys, and the only deranged lunatic that tried to bit me is sleeping right over here.”

Cris lets out a soft snore when Leo pokes him in the shoulder.

“See? Completely harmless. Also completely useless but what can you do. It’s not like it was my idea to make the two of us go after the vampire. We have Geri to thank for that. Although I have to admit it sort of makes sense, that the vampire can only be found in the middle of the night.”

Cris shifts in his sleep, getting more comfortable in his seat now that the car stopped moving. The guy could really fall asleep anywhere.

“Wake up, Cris,” Leo says, tapping Cris’ shoulder again. When that doesn’t help, Leo sets the camera aside and gives Cris a solid punch to his chest. “Wake up!”

“Wh- already?” Cris sits up, taking in their surroundings. The woods along both sides of the road are deep and the night is darker here, with the trees blocking the moonlight. There are no lights from the hostel or the town visible from here either. In fact, it’s one of the darkest nights Leo has ever seen.

“Yeah, we’re here.”

“Fuck, it’s dark.”

Leo has no desire to leave the safety of their car and go explore the mysteries of the night. “I hate Geri.”

“You hate everyone,” Cris yawns, zipping up his jacket and straightening the seams on his sleeves that had twisted while he was sleeping. “Grab the gear, I’ve got the camera.”

They climb out of the car and once Leo locks it, they realize how perfectly silent is the night around them.

“This is creepy,” Leo says in a hushed tone, reluctant to break the silence.

Cris snorts, speaking at normal volume because nothing seems to ever shake him. “You think the shadows under your own bed are creepy.”

It’s true but Cris could be nicer about it. “Do you suppose it’s completely natural that we don’t hear anything? Not even an owl?”

“If I were an owl, I’d be sleeping in my nest right now, warm and cosy. I wouldn’t be fluttering my wings around in this miserable weather so you could hear me.”

“Actually, you can’t hear it when an owl swoops past. Their feathers on the leading edge are–”

“Lionel,” Cris says warningly.

Leo sighs. “I just wanted to say that they’re silent gliders. The poor mouse will never know until the talons have sunk in.”

“Now that’s creepy!” Cris says, chuckling.

“C’mon, man this light, I want to see what the thermal camera can do.”

**…**


	4. Look

The forest is silent and the only disturbance is the crunch of the dry leaves under their feet. The howl of the wind is quieter here, muffled by the trees.

Leo shines his flashlight left and right, searching for long forgotten stone blocks that could be the remains of a castle. The trees cast dancing shadows all around him and Leo wishes the night was clear enough for them to switch off the flashlights and walk through the forest in the natural light of the night. They’ve tried it but the night is simply too dark and impenetrable for their human eyes.

“It will be midnight soon and we’re still looking for the remains of Guajona’s castle,” Leo whispers to the camera. “There once was a castle serving as a fortress to guard the boarders of the region but you can’t find it on the maps these days. Today, no one knows where it stood because once Guajona started to hunt in these lands, the castle lost its purpose and crumbled apart over the course of following centuries. It is believed that Guajona, the bloodthirsty monster, took residence in the castle instead.”

Leo pauses to take a breath. Several paces to his left he can hear Cris’ steps threading through the crunching leaves. There isn’t exactly a path that they could follow so they are each choosing their own path through the forest minimizing the danger of getting smacked in the face by a branch let lose by the person in front.

“Legend has it that Guajona is still roaming around, hiding in the dungeons underground during the daylight but venturing outside when the sun sets, looking for young kids to feast upon.”

To Leo’s left, the rhythmical crunch of Cris’ steps pauses. “I don’t remember you saying she only snacks on kids,” he calls out.

“Well, the prefers young blood but I think given how few people she meets these days, she wouldn’t be too picky about her dinner.”

“Food is food, I guess,” Cris says. “And blood is blood. With all the railways and highways, no one crosses the mountains by this old route anymore. Just us, the two idiots who want to meet her.” Cris starts walking again and Leo hurries to keep up. “By the way, Leo, you realize you’ve been saying her name the whole time, right?”

“Well, you made me say it once already so the protection was broken anyway. It doesn’t matter how many times I say it now!” Leo mutters, shining his flashlight at a particularly oddly twisted tree. Its shadow is downright frightening, dark branches reaching like fingers towards the sky. They should have turned the moment they realized how eerily quiet the forest is.

“Really? So it’s not like with Bloody Mary where you need to say the name three times? Would nothing happen if I called her? Like this, Guajona, Guajona, Guajona!”

Correction, they should _never_ have listened to Gerard when he told them to go look after the vampire after the sun sets.

Leo can’t help the shudder that runs down his spine when Cris rhythmically chants the name. “This was such a bad idea,” Leo says, voice dangerously close to a whimper. 

“So? Which is it? Is she summoned by her name? Does she come when called like a good dog? Hey, Guajona, come here, girl, come here.”

Instead of Guajona, they get to hear a howl that echoes off the mountains. It’s distant but chilling nonetheless.

“Well. I’m really glad I’m not here alone,” Leo says.

There’s a crunch of dry twigs snapping beneath Cris’ feet as he comes back to Leo. “What?”

“It’s good that you’re here,” Leo repeats.

“Yeah. I’m glad to have you here too,” Cris says slowly.

Leo would lie if he said he isn’t pleased to hear that. Between the two of them, he’s usually the one who is scared out of his mind – usually because between the two of them, he is the only one who has the common sense to fear the unknown supernatural powers – so it’s definitely good to know that Cris takes pleasure in Leo’s company.

Leo smiles. “Really?”

“Yeah, you’re smaller and not as fast as me and the wolves will surely notice that and attack you first while I’ll have plenty of time to get back to the safely of our car.”

“You wanker,” Leo hisses, hitting Cris’ arm.

“What? Wolves always go after the weakest link, everyone knows that. You should know that since you’re such a know-it-all.”

Another howl pierces the silence of the night. Maybe it’s the mountains echoing it, maybe it’s more wolves joining their voices but it sounds like the noise is all around them.

“Fuck. Can’t even tell from which side it’s coming.”

“Can you see anything?” Leo asks Cris because Cris has the camera with the thermal vision.

“There’s nothing but trees around us, Leo.”

Somewhere in front of them, a single twig snaps noisily.

Leo doesn’t let out a shriek of pure terror only because his throat closes up. He can’t make a sound.

Cris moves to stand in front of Leo, frantically pointing his flashlight in every direction. “Did you hear that?” Cris whispers.

Leo can’t speak but he reaches out to give Cris’ arm a confirmative squeeze.

“Fuck, me too. But I still can’t see anything.”

It’s just the shadows, moving and shifting as they shine their flashlights around in an attempt to find the source of the noise. Cris seems to me just as worried as Leo is.

At one point, Leo thinks he sees a shadow flee ahead of the cone of the flashlight that passes it by, thinks he sees the darker outline of the movement as it crouches down to hide behind a tree trunk. It looks like a human figure but then Leo blinks and the shadow is gone altogether and everything remains still.

“Cris?” Leo starts tentatively, “I thought you didn’t believe in the supernatural creatures and therefore you weren’t afraid at all?”

“Look, I’m not afraid of being assaulted by some banshee or bitten by a vampire. Those are the tales to frighten small kids,” Cris says quickly. “Wolves on the other hand? That shit’s real.”

“Three packs have been reported to live in this area,” Leo says, remembering having read it somewhere.

“You could have maybe mentioned that before we walked right into their territory, you know.” Cris doesn’t even sound mad, Leo has to give him that. If their roles were reversed, Leo would be going out of his mind and screaming at Cris for being recklessly stupid. Instead, it’s been Leo who was stupid.

“I didn’t think about that,” Leo says, voice tight.

“Of course not, you were just eager to get us out there, chasing after a creature that doesn’t exist instead of being worried about getting attacked by something that’s very, very real.”

“I know,” Leo sighs, feeling like shit.

“Please try to stay calm, okay? Wolves can smell for god knows how many kilometres–”

“–about three–”

“–that wasn’t a question, Leo. They can smell far and we don’t want to attract their attention by reeking of fear, leaving traces everywhere.”

“I’m trying.”

Cris takes in a steadying breath. “Just stay behind me. We’re getting back in the car.”

“There are also bears,” Leo whispers.

“…I trust you’ve got your bear spray?”

“Yes,” Leo pipes.

“Good. Be ready for anything.”

**…**


	5. Sensitive

They bumble through the forest, trying to make minimum noise. They haven’t switched off their flashlights as most predators aren’t attracted to light and neither of them is interested in falling into a ditch somewhere just because they couldn’t see a thing.

Slowly, they trace their way back to the car.

When the howling comes again, Cris leans close to Leo to ask him with a tinge of curiosity, “What do you know about werewolves?”

Leo shudders. He knows Cris isn’t trying to make the situation worse but now it’s not the time for his questions about the creatures Leo believes are real. It’s always a touchy subject and Cris is usually sensitive about it so to hear such question now seems a bit odd to Leo.

“I know it can’t be them,” he responds. “It’s not the full moon.”

“Good to know,” Cris says, reaching over to put an arm around Leo’s waist, squeezing slightly and steering Leo in the right direction to avoid an uneven part of the forest floor.

Leo isn’t sure if he’s being made fun of or if Cris means it. He doesn’t care enough to ask. He just wants to get out of this place. The howling stops and the night is silent again, save for the occasional crunch of leaves under their feet.

It takes forever but eventually, they make it safely back to the car.

Leo feels like weeping he’s so relieved. Cris takes the camera to narrate the events of the night for their viewers while Leo drives them back.

Leo lets the familiar sound of Cris’ voice soothe him. Cris’ tone is derisive when he talks about Guajona and other supernatural things and Leo finds comfort in that as well. Leo is mildly annoyed that Cris is once again dismissing every evidence – albeit mostly circumstantial – but Cris’ dry, slightly amused tone is as much a part of their investigations as the thermal camera or the holy water.

Listening to Cris logically analysing the situation does wonder to Leo’s nerves.

He peels of the road, already feeling much better.

Then his eyes catch something stir in the shadows by the side of the road where the headlights of the car don’t quite reach. Leo squints his eyes, his shoulders going tense. At the same time, a yellow half-moon peeks behind the line of the trees, casting its eerie glow on the road that leads back to the town.

There is no questioning it now. There is a figure, lurking on the edge of the forest.

Leo sucks in a breath. His throat closes up again. Cris gives him a brief glance but since Leo can’t shout a warning or do anything other than stare, Cris quickly returns his attention back to the camera.

Leo grips the steering wheel tighter and keeps his feet on the gas pedal. They’re approaching the place where the figure is hiding faster than Leo would like. His eyes keep flicking back and forth, from the road in front of him to the edge of the forest. He keeps hoping that when he looks next, the figure will be gone.

But each time he looks, he sees it.

Leo keeps driving, fear touching the very core of his soul. He is afraid. But he is more afraid to stop the car when there is clearly _something_ out there.

They get closer. It’s definitely not a wolf. It’s not a bear either.

Some two hundred meters between him and the shadow ahead of him. Leo looks again and sees the strange shadow come out of the line of the forest to lurk by the side of the road.

Leo stares at the creature, horrified. It only vaguely resembles a female figure. It looks like she’s floating rather than walking to them. Darkness is obscuring her face. She’s wearing black robes. Or maybe just a really long black coat that’s covering her feet.

Cris doesn’t say anything. Can’t he see it?

One hundred meters.

The moon hides behind a cloud and the night starts to get dark again. The shadows grow tall, one hiding the other. It’s all to dark to see anything. Leo makes a gurgling noise when they speed past the point where he spotted the figure.

Cris pauses in the middle of a sentence – Leo hasn’t even realized Cris is still talking – and casts a worried glance at Leo. “Are you okay?”

The road is empty when Leo dares to flick his eyes to the rear view mirror.

“Uh-huh,” Leo says, affirmative.

Cris lowers the camera to his lap and reaches over to Leo. “Really? You look a bit shaken up.”

Cris’ touch on Leo’s arm is light as a feather.

“This place is creeping me out, man.”

**…**

They’re halfway through a series of the hairpin turns above the cliffs when all of the sudden, Cris bellows, “Stop the car! Stop the car! Now!”

Leo hits the brakes. The abrupt stop jolts them forward in their seats. Cris unbuckles his seatbelt and launches himself out of the car before Leo can gather his thoughts and ask him what’s going on. He lets the engine run and gets out of the car, following Cris.

There isn’t much to be seen outside of where the headlights illuminate the road.

Cris places one hand on the crash barriers and vaults over, kneeling down between the low hanging trees.

Leo follows his suit and soon he’s staring at a woman-like figure hanging over the side of the cliff, one arm wrapped tight on a low hanging branch, the other braced against the edge of the ground and the abyss.

Leo’s heart drops to his stomach.

It’s not a woman, it’s a creature. It’s _the creature_. Leo struggles to find his voice to make a sound.

Dark shadows, dark clothes, dark creature.

It’s frightening. It has bright, beady eyes that seems to cut into Leo’s soul. She is holding herself over the drop of the cliff but from the look of it, she won’t be able to hang there much longer.

Cris leans to her to pull her over the edge back to safety.

The woman’s lips stretch into a toothless smile and that’s when Leo notices the single fang protruding from her mouth like a razor.

“Cris! Don’t!” Leo chokes out.

Cris makes a grab at one of her hands because he must have a death wish. Or perhaps he is truly blind to everything supernatural. Maybe he really thinks it’s just some old lady.

Just when Cris’ hands are about to clasp around the woman’s, she lets out a low hiss and lets go of the branch to which she’s been clinging.

“No!” Cris gasps, trying to catch her as she falls but his hand only closes around darkness.

They don’t see the woman fall, there is only a flutter of shadows from within the depths of the cliffs. They don’t hear her fall, either. There is no scream, no sound of a body hitting the jagged slopes of the cliffs. The night is silent. Leo can only hear his heart racing in his chest and from a distance, the running engine of their car.

One hand still outstretched, Cris is standing over the spot where the apparition dissolved into the gaping darkness of the abyss. Leo can’t see his expression clearly. But he can see Cris’ hand, suspended mid-air. The sleeve on Cris’ jumper reveals the naked skin over his wrist. And there, Leo spots the bracelet Cris stole from him the other day.

The garlic bracelet.

Leo lets out a shuddery breath. His knees are threatening to give out from underneath him.

“What the fuck was that?”

Leo sways on his feet. He leans against the crash barriers. “That was the vampire we’ve been looking for.”

“…Seriously?” Cris pulls back to his feet. He’s frowning at the spot where the creature has pretended to fall.

“Shouldn’t we call an ambulance? Or the police?”

“She’s a vampire, Cris. She’s all right.”

“A vampire! Do you even hear yourself, Leo?”

Leo closes his eyes. Listens to Cris cros the distance between them. “How did you even see her from the road?”

“I…” Cris pauses. “I don’t know, actually.”

She called to them, she must have. “Still don’t believe me?”

“We haven’t managed to get her on a tape,” Cris points out. Leo wishes Cris wasn’t always so sensible.

“Let’s get back to the car. I can’t wait to get the fuck out of here,” Leo says in a monotone. He can barely recognize his own voice.

Cris doesn’t question it when Leo wordlessly hands him the keys and lets him drive. Leo climbs into the passenger’s seat, legs shaky and heart beating rapidly. He squeezes his eyes tight because he can’t bear to watch the shadows around the road, his imagination in overdrive.

**…**


	6. Special

Cris stops the car in the parking lot behind the hostel.

Leo doesn’t remember the drive back here. He gets out of the car and goes around it to get to Cris’ side in uncertain steps.

“This place is bloody miserable,” Cris says, locking the car and turning to Leo. “Oh, you’re still recording that?”

Leo glances down at his hands where he is holding the camera Cris has flung away when he spotted the creature hanging over the edge of the cliff.

“No,” Leo says and rises the camera closer to his face to see where is the power on/off button. He happens to glance at the screen. The night vision is toggled on and Leo can see the creepy greenish area around them in more light than is usual.

Between the trees across the road, something shiningly white catches his eye. He looks closer at the little screen, trying to make out what exactly it could be. There is a white orb with some hollow, dark places in it that resemble…

“Cris!” Leo almost drops the camera in his haste to shove it in Cris’ face.

“What?”

Leo runs across the road to the place where he saw the bones. It’s there when he gets closer. White bones scattered around the ground. The orb he saw through the camera’s night vision is a human skull. It’s small. It must have been only a child.

Leo feel bile rise in his throat and he staggers away.

He loses track of time.

**…**

Cris comes to get him some time later, one hand firmly on Leo’s back as he walks them away from the scene. He’s talking to someone on the phone – the police, probably – but Leo follows after him dazed, barely aware of where they are going. Cris leads them back to their hostel room. They don’t meet anyone during the short walk, the receptionist is not there and neither are any other guests, if there ever were any. The hostel is so quiet it reminds Leo of how quiet the woods have been.

“Shh,” Cris says, unlocking the doors and pushing Leo inside. “Pack your things, we’re leaving.”

Leo sighs, listing to Cris who still has his arm around Leo. Leo presses in close and Cris pulls him into a hug, murmuring something into Leo’s ear, low and comforting.

He’s been feeling so hollow since the moment in the woods and now he’s finally more like himself again, all because of Cris. Cris has been his anchor throughout all of this, calm and supportive.

Leo doesn’t think about it, he just does it, he turns his head and presses a thankful kiss to the side of Cris’ neck.

Cris pulls back, surprised, staring down at Leo. Before Leo gets the chance to start panicking, Cris closes the gap between them again and presses his lips against Leo’s, short and insistent. The kiss is brief, Cris pulls away the moment Leo registers it. “Now’s not the time, Leo.”

“Oh.” Leo’s heart sinks.

Cris runs his hands up and down Leo’s back again. “But we’ll have time – later, okay? I want us to get out of this place. I’ll help you pack.”

Leo sighs.

“It’s fine, Leo, I swear. Let’s just not do this here. We’ll talk when we get back, you can go over the tapes and through the polaroids with me and insist every smudge and shadow is an undeniable proof of some supernatural activity.”

Leo closes his eyes again. “Tonight wasn’t a proof enough for you?”

Cris runs his hand up and down Leo’s back one last time before withdrawing completely. Leo watches Cris potter around the room, shoving everything haphazardly into their bags. The urgency makes Leo break through his trance-like state and follow Cris’ suit. There is something Cris isn’t telling him but Leo wants to get out of this hostel more than he needs immediate answers.

**…**

They make their statements for the police and head back home. Leo researches the history of the town and looks into any unsolved cases of a missing person. He wishes he didn’t.

He pulls the folder on the table, pushing it between him and Cris. “So, it turns out that the hostel was built in the late eighteen century.”

“Okay?”

“And it turns out that it was build on the ruins of the old castle. They used the same stone blocks and everything. Also, the underground section of the castle was pretty much intact so they kept it underneath the hostel. How fucking creepy is that?”

“I’d say it’s efficient,” Cris says.

“Of course you would. But now listen to this, if you were a vampire–”

“Or a serial killer! This could totally be a serial killer!”

“– wouldn’t it be pretty convenient for you to run a hostel? By the edge of the woods? Close to a bottomless pit? Away from the prying eyes of the townspeople?”

“Those cliffs weren’t that–”

“And,” Leo goes on, talking over Cris, “it would be pretty smart, too. How much time does it take to trace travellers? Who says they haven’t moved on to visit the next town? Or, if someone gets suspicious, there could always be accidents that happen to people, right? Especially young kids can be careless while they play and it wouldn’t rise many eyebrows if people said someone took a tumble down the cliff.”

“It would certainly rise my eyebrow,” Cris says and demonstrates it. “You’re starting to worry me, Leo.”

“Well, this is all I’ve found about it. But it makes sense, you know? The vampire wouldn’t need to go outside to hunt people when tourist would wander right into her den.”

Cris looks directly at the camera and shakes his head. “The same goes for a serial killer, though. You’ve seen it yourself, guys. There was nothing paranormal going on in there. Just one shitty experience where we stumbled upon evidence that will be used in the criminal case against the current owner of the hostel.”

“Be that as it may,” Leo huffs, “I’m glad we’ve left this town behind. It didn’t bring us anything good. I want to forget all of it.”

Cris licks his lips, eyes flickering to Leo’s. “Really? All of it? Because I’d say there was something pretty special to me that I wouldn’t like to forget.”

Leo feels his cheeks go pink. “The camera,” he hisses.

Cris chuckles, reaching over to switch it off. “That’s it folks, another episode of our adventures comes to an end. Although we helped the police catch a potential mass murdering lunatic, we still have no answer to our original question whether or not Guajona exists.”

Leo twitches in his seat, impatient for Cris to stop talking already. Cris catches the movement and shoots Leo an amused grin.

“For now, the case shall remain unsolved. But be sure to follow us on our next adventures because I have a feeling Leo already has a few ideas in mind.” Finally, the camera goes dark and Cris turns to him with a smirk. “You do you have _ideas_ , right?”

“Plenty.”


End file.
